pole that carries all communication, cable, to Sabine Pass, Tx. and power for bridge lights. its also the drop off point for student pickup for sabine pass isd.. Pole is rotten and hollow.

dept of transportation called me to check out removal.. this is going to get interesting fo sho.

anyone have any suggestions? heh Im not about to open that thing up with the maritime, fishing industry base, and coast guard etc that depend on those lines. if i enlarge the opening with chainsaw to get in there, and the pole falls and takes out those lines, then what? :shock: im thinking they need to chop it in half or thirds at least, ill hardware cloth the bees in the cavity at night, then the next day they can work on it.. looks like a crane may come into play here.

I think your on the right track. Either that or a trap out. If they asked you to do a cut out it sounds like the pole is slated for replacement or removal. I would ask them how that is done and see if this could be a joint operation. Seal her up long enough to allow them to detach to lines then look to take it down in sections. Cut off the top above the hollow then take out the section holding the colony. Possibly be able then to move it off site for the cut out then and they can complete the rest of the job without you.Keep us updated. I like the interesting jobs.

Another thought hit me. Are you sure that the pole is hollow? Most treated power poles are pine, usually southern yellow (SYP) and these trees do not develop natural hollows or cavities. That plus the fact that it is treated and the comb in the photo is new leads me to think there is not much of a cavity there. Probably more like a deep crack, those poles get brittle with time. If so it may be a case of a small swarm choosing a very bad spot and you may be able to get it out with very little actual cutting.

As an engineer for a phone company, I deal with Poles all the time. Contact the owner of the pole. If a pole is rotted, they are required to replace it for safety and storm reasons. Work with them and get the pole when they take it down. Most rot occurs at the base of the pole, at the ground line but it can also rot at the top. Not all poles are southern yellow pine. Good luck. Jim

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